Switched Around
by StarlitDuck
Summary: One day, the teams of Hugtto and Star Twinkle get their leaders swapped. Now Hikaru is in Hana's world, and Hana is in Hikaru's. Will the two teams be able to get their leaders back?
1. Lost

Chapter 1 Lost

Lala hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. There had been more important matters at hand and she did not want to neglect them. Her rocket had been severely damaged the last time she and her friends had gone into space, and as a consequence AI wasn't working properly. Lala, hoping to take responsibility as the adult that she was, had decided to work on repairs. After all, the Precure wouldn't be of much use if they couldn't travel.

Based on the fact that the sun was rising outside the window, Lala speculated that she had been working for about six hours (Earth hours of course, the people on Saman measured time in a different way). Her hands were what were responsible for most of the labor, as they held the tools. Her antenna, on the other hand, were responsible for testing the rocket's computer system, making sure that everything was running smoothly. With her left antenna, Lala pressed a button and spoke to AI.

"AI, are you okay lun?"

There was a period of silence, which made Lala panic slightly. If AI was broken...no, AI couldn't be broken. Lala couldn't accept another failure.

"I am okay, Lala. I feel fantastic."

Lala breathed a sigh of relief. _Good_, she thought. _Now I can go to bed._

Lala stood up, and instantly regretted doing so. She had been kneeling in the same position for the past hour, so all circulation to her legs had been cut off. Her feet tingled as she stood on the rocket floor, and hurt so badly that Lala had no choice but to sit back down. She would've laughed, if not for the fact that her discomfort was...well, uncomfortable.

"Good morning, Lala chan!"

Lala turned and saw a silhouette standing in the rocket's entryway. Since the sun was rising right behind them, the person's front was hidden in shadow. Thankfully, Lala knew who it was. She would recognize that cheery voice anywhere.

"Good morning, Hikaru."

Hoshina Hikaru stepped into the rocket, grinning from ear to ear. In her hands she had a basket of strawberries. Lala had tasted a plethora of Earthly treats, but raspberries were one that she still had yet to try. Lala stared at the magenta-colored fruits as if they weren't berries, but pure gold.

"Have you been up all night, Lala?" Hikaru asked as she knelt down beside her friend. She pulled a raspberry at of the basket and held it in her palm. Lala took it with a sense of excitement.

"I have," Lala responded as she popped the raspberry in her mouth. The juice spread across her tongue, covering her taste buds. Lala decided that raspberries were her new favorite Earth food.

"I hope you don't overwork yourself," Hikaru said as she stood up. "How are you, AI?"

"I am quite well, Hikaru. I am starting to feel like myself again."

"Kirayaba!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Does that mean that we'll be going back up into space soon?"

"No lun," Lala said. The numbness in her legs had receded, so now she was able to stand beside Cure Star. "I think it would be best if we give the rocket some time to rest."

A shadow of disappointment crossed over Hikaru's face. Hikaru loved space travel, more than anyone else Lala knew. Lala supposed that was only natural, given how fascinated Hikaru was by the worlds they visited and the aliens they encountered. Even for someone who was now accustomed to space travel, Lala couldn't blame Hikaru.

"Oh," Hikaru said. Just as quickly as the disappointment on her face had appeared, it quickly vanished and was replaced by another smile. "I guess that is alright. That will give us all some time to hang out with Elena, Madoka, and Yuni!"

Lala nodded, but that was the only response that she was able to give. Her eyelids were starting to droop, and her antenna were hanging low.

"Are you okay, Lala?"

Lala looked up at Hikaru. It was weird for Lala to see her with concern on her normally happy face. She nodded again.

"I need to sleep," she said with a yawn. "If it were any other day, I would gladly hang out with you guys. But I promise that I will make time for you."

Lala expected that the disappointment would return to Hikaru's face, but instead she saw empathy in her friend's eyes. Hikaru placed her hand on Lala's shoulder.

"It's okay," she said. "Take all the time you need."

Lala smiled. Hikaru was so unlike everyone who she had interacted with on her home planet. Everyone on Saman treated her like a klutz, a moron. Her boss had always made sure to go out of his way to keep her away from the heavy duty work, and her parents weren't much better. It was a nice change of pace to have Hikaru treat her the way she did. It made Lala feel respected, important.

"Thank you, lun."

Hikaru returned Lala's smile. There was a touch of warmth to the expression that made Lala content. This was another reason she liked being around Hikaru.

"Well, see you later." Hikaru turned around to exit the rocket, but before she did she abruptly turned back around. "Oh wait, I forgot to do this when I came in!"

Hikaru held her pointer fingers out. Lala maneuvered her antenna so that the bulbous tips would touch Hikaru's fingertips. The standard form of greeting on Lala's homeworld. Satisfied, Hikaru turned back around.

"Okay, now I'm really heading out. Bye, Lala!"

The door to the rocket closed. Lala rubbed her eyes as she headed to her bed.

"AI, can you dim the lights?"

The lights in the rocket slowly faded out, until the only light in the rocket was the one that was being produced by the sun outside.

"Thank you lun."

"No problem, Lala. Sweet dreams."

…

Lala's eyes fluttered open and she sat up in bed. She yawned and stretched. It suddenly hit her that she might have been sleeping for longer than she thought.

"AI, how long was I asleep?"

"You have been asleep for about twelve Earth hours, or one Saman day."

Lala got up and looked out the window. The sun, which last time she checked was just peaking over the Eastern horizon, was now dipping below the Western sky. Yep, she had definitely been sleeping for longer than she thought.

_Oh well, _Lala thought. She got out her supply of space gummies and popped one into her mouth. While raspberries were good, it was space gummies that Lala hailed as the Holy Grail of food. They were the perfect source of energy for aliens like her, and they tasted delectable.

"It would appear that Amamiya Elena, Kaguya Madoka, and Yuni are right outside the door," AI informed Lala. Lala went to the door and opened it, allowing her to get a glimpse of Cure Soleil, Cure Selene, and Cure Cosmo.

"Hello lun," Lala said. She extended her antenna, and each of the three girls tapped the tips in the same way Hikaru had done.

"Lala," Madoka said. "I'm afraid we have a problem."

It was then that Lala noticed the concern on her teammates' face. Lala was instantly snared by worry.

"What problem?" she allowed her eyes to scan the group. "And where's Hikaru."

"That's the problem," Yuni said seriously. "We don't know."

"She went missing around noon," Elena chimed in. "She said that she was going to the store and hasn't been back since."

Lala's worry increased. Hikaru was gone? No, she couldn't. If Hikaru was missing...no, Lala couldn't allow herself to think about that.

"Well, she couldn't be far," Lala said. "After all, this town is only so big."

"Unless she's not in this town," Yuni said darkly. The others glanced at her.

"What are you implying?" Madoka asked.

"I think that there is a slight possibility that she could have been kidnapped Notraiders," Yuni said. "After all, she has the Taurus and the Ares Star Color Pens. People like Aiwarn would definitely want to get their hands on that."

Lala's heart rate escalated. Based on her teammates expressions, they felt the same way.

"We have to split up," Elena said. "Yuni, you go south. Madoka, you go east. Lala will go north and I'll go west."

"Should we transform?" Madoka asked.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Elena said after careful consideration. She held up her pendant and the others did the same.

"Star Color Pendant!" the four shouted. The girls were engulfed by bright lights, which blinked away after a minute. Now fully transformed, the four cures made their way in the directions that Elena had specified.

As Lala tread down the north path, her worries became increasingly overwhelming. She hoped, for Hikaru's sake, that she was still on Earth. If she was captured by the notraiders, it would be difficult for her to fight back. And that was if she was still able to transform; if she couldn't then fighting back would be an impossibility. With this thought, Lala quickened her pace.

"Hikaru! Hoshina Hikaru!"

No answer. Cure Milky decided that she had better leave the path. She raced on foot through the grass. She noticed that the sun was almost completely gone now, and twilight was starting to set in. If she was going to find Hikaru, she would prefer that she did it before dark.

After about twenty minutes of running, Lala stopped underneath a tree to catch her breath. Even as a Pretty Cure, Lala couldn't run forever. As she panted, she began to think. Searching around willy nilly probably wasn't the best idea. She needed to narrow the search to the places where Hikaru was mostly likely to be.

"The Donut Shop," Lala said, and started running in that direction. She sprinted past the lake, not being able to fully take in its glittering beauty. There were one or two people she passed, and each one was delighted to see Cure Milky. She asked them if that had seen Cure Star, but none of them had any clue of her whereabouts. All they could say was that they would tell her if they saw her.

Lala stopped when the Donut Shop came into view. She stopped and breathed in a sigh of relief. Before she could start running though, she felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder.

"I need your help."

Lala turned and saw a young girl, about thirteen Earth years in age. She was notably short, and had wavy pink hair. Lala noticed that her bangs were cut in a strange way.

"Are you a Precure?"

"Yes," Lala said, albeit with some caution. "I am Cure Milky. Why do you need my help."

The girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said. "My name is Nono Hana."

Hana took out a heart shaped device and placed what looked like a pink crystal in it. She was engulfed in light, and when the light faded Lala stared at her. Her hair had grown longer and was now a lighter shade of pink. She also wore a pink outfit that resembled that of a cheerleader.

"How did you..?" Lala asked in shock.

"I'm a Precure too," Hana said. "My name is Cure Yell. Are you friends with someone named Cure Star?"

"Yes!" Lala exclaimed. "Do you know where she is?"

"I do," Hana replied. She looked worried. "She is in my world."

"Your world?" Lala asked in confusion.

"I'll explain everything," Hana said. "But before I do that, we need to find your teammates."


	2. Pendants and Crystals

Chapter 2 Pendants and Crystals

Hikaru's body was numb, her eyelids extremely heavy. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't open her eyes. The only thing that she could do was feel; fear and bafflement. How exactly did she end up in this state?

Hikaru racked her brain for the last thing she could recall before getting knocked out. She remembered walking down the street of her hometown when a bright, multi-colored light appeared in the sky. Except light wasn't exactly the right word; it looked more like the portals that the rocket used when her Precure team went into space.

Hikaru, always fast to be astounded by supernatural occurrences like that, was completely astounded. She stood in the street, taking in the breathtaking anomaly. Unfortunately, this decision had proven to be a mistake. Before she knew it, Cure Star was off her feet and in the air, being drawn toward the portal. Hikaru struggled and wriggled, attempting to free herself from the suction, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

What happened next was a fuzzy blur. Hikaru could recall finding herself on a hard, black floor made out of what she guessed were linoleum tiles. She had looked up and seen a girl; a girl who looked to be about her age. She had light pink hair and was fighting a monster of some sort. She looked like a Precure, but that couldn't be right. Hikaru's team was the only existing Precure team, right?

"Are you alright?" the girl had called to Hikaru. Hikaru only nodded in response. The girl turned back toward the monster and took out a heart shaped device. She called out "Heart for You," and the monster she was fighting disintegrated under the blast of light escaping from the device. Yep, she was definitely a Precure. But how was that possible?

"Do you hurt?" the presumed Precure asked as she approached Hikaru. She helped Hikaru to her feet.

"No," Hikaru said. The girl smiled.

"Good. I am Cure Yell. Are you a Precure too?"

"Yes," Hikaru said. "My name is Cure Star, but you can call me Hikaru."

After that was when Hikaru got knocked out. What knocked her out exactly, she did not know. But now that she was coming around, that wasn't the only question she had on her mind. What happened to Cure Yell? Are there other precure besides her? **Where was she**?

Hikaru heard the sound of a door opening. It sounded distant and distorted, but there was no mistaking that she had heard it. Hikaru then heard people talking. It took some effort, but she was able to discern what was being said.

"Is she okay?" said a smooth, melodic voice.

"Her heart is beating at a steady rate of ninety five beats per minute," came another voice, a softer one. "Her breathing rate is also steady. Possibility of awakening: ninety eight percent."

Hikaru heard the owner of the smooth voice give a sigh of relief. She then heard another person, possibly two people enter the room.

"We have got to get her back home, I say!" came a younger voice. "She cannot stay here!"

"Don't worry Emiru, we will," said a stronger voice."We just have to wait until she is awake before we can deal with that."

Hikaru 's eyelids started to flutter. When she opened them, the only thing that she could see was blinding light. After her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out the appearances of the people in the room with her. There was a tall, golden haired girl with a boyish haircut, a younger girl whose dirty blonde hair was tied into pigtails, a girl with navy blue hair and a soft complexion, and a girl with lavender hair. The girl with the lavender hair was standing closest to the bed Hikaru was lying on and was staring at her intently. When Hikaru made eye contact with her, she gave a small smile.

"You're awake."

Hikaru tried to sit up, and an intense pain shot through her forehead. She groaned and placed her hand to the problem area.

"Thank goodness!" said the younger girl. "I was worried beyond belief! I say, I don't think I can deal with a dead Precure on my conscience!"

"Emiru," the golden haired girl sternly said as she elbowed her friend in the arm. The girl with navy blue hair walked forward, smiling sweetly.

"What is your name?" she asked. The sound of her voice was enough to make Hikaru forget about her headache, if only for a moment.

"I'm Hikaru. Hoshina Hikaru," Hikaru said nervously. She looked at the four girls. "Who...who are you? And how did you know I'm a Precure?"

"Because we're Precure too," said the navy haired girl. "I'm Yakushiji Saaya. Cure Ange."

"I'm Kagayaki Homare," said the golden haired girl. "Cure Etoile."

"Aisaki Emiru," said the youngest. "Cure Macherie."

"And Ruru Amour," said the girl with lavender hair. "Cure Amour."

"We are glad that you are okay," Saaya said. "When we found you unconscious in Criasu's headquarters, we all feared the worst."

"Especially me!" Emiru chimed in. "I couldn't bear to see you like that, I say! I carried you out of the building myself! With Ruru's help, of course."

Hikaru had no idea what or who Criasu was, but based on the way these girls spoke about it, it seemed to be bad. Hikaru immediately felt a wave of gratitude.

"Thank you." Suddenly, Hikaru noticed that her neck felt abnormally light. She put her hand to her chest, and panic filled her mind. Her pendant was gone.

"Where's my pendant?" Hikaru asked with a frightened gasped.

"What are you talking about?" Saaya asked with a look of concern.

"My Star Color Pendant!" Hikaru explained. "That's what I use to transform! I can't transform without the pendant; where is my pendant?"

All the girls looked worried, but their worry quickly transitioned into sadness.

"We were lucky enough to escape Criasu with our PreHearts," Homare said. "If we had known about your transformation device...I'm sorry, Hikaru."

Hikaru noticed that her bed was stationed right next to a window. The location outside didn't look like anywhere Hikaru recognized. Her panic began to increase.

"Where am I?" she yelled. She was practically hysterical now. Saaya and Ruru sat down on the edge of the bed.

"We'll tell you what we know," Ruru said.

…

"Man, these things are delicious!"

Madoka, Elena, Yuni, and Prunce stared at Hana as she dug her way into the space gummies Lala had offered her. She had devoured about thirty so far and didn't show any sign of stopping. Lala wasn't that worried at first, as she did have a generous supply of the stuff. Even considering that though, she was starting to get a little worried.

"Okay, Hana," she said gently. "I think it is time we put those away."

"You're right," Hana said with a nervous laugh. "I suppose I am going a little overboard."

Hana handed the container of space gummies back to Lala. Madoka put her hand to her head.

"Okay, let me see if I've got this straight," she said. "You're from another world?"

"And by another world," Yuni said, "you mean alternate universe?"

"And you are the leader of the Precure team in said universe?" asked Elena. Hana nodded.

"Yes, yes, and yes," she addressed each question without missing a beat. In all honesty, Lala found this to be completely fascinating, but she was also worried about Hikaru's whereabouts.

"Okay," Lala said. "But that doesn't explain how you got here. Or how our leader got into your universe lun."

Hana's countenance shifted completely. All excitement and curiosity vanished as she stared at a certain spot on the floor.

"Well," she began, "to explain that you need to know about what me and my team have to deal with. You see, we fight this company called Criasu. Their goal is to stop time, and in order to do that they need these things called Mirai Crystals." Hana reached into the bag at her side and pulled out the heart shaped crystal that Lala had seen her put into her device to transform. "We use Mirai Crystals to transform by putting them into our PreHearts."

Hana took out the transformation device and displayed it to everyone on the opposite side of table.

"Amazing," Prunce said. "You gain your power from a source that isn't the Star Princesses' prunce. I guess that makes sense since they aren't in your universe, but still!"

Hana smiled slightly and put the transformation tools back in her bag.

"Recently, the head of the company, George Kurai, discovered an alternate source of energy," Hana explained. "He realized that there were alternate universes where more Precure could be found. He figured that the power in their transformation devices could be just as effective as the type found in ours."

"But how did he get those Precure?" Madoka asked.

"By using Hugtan," Hana said. "Hugtan was a Precure from the future. She escaped into the past using the white mirai crystal. She is a baby now, but she is still pretty powerful. She has more powers than you can shake a stick at!"

"And one of those powers is opening interdimensional portals?" Yuni asked with wide eyes. Hana nodded. "That's insane!"

"George sent some of the Criasu employees to kidnap Hugtan," Hana continued. "He used her power to bring Cure Star into my world. My team and I were there, fighting Oshimaidas at the time. Before I could help her, she was knocked out by Listle. He was just about to take my mirai crystal, but before he could Hugtan used the last remaining power she had to send me here."

The Precure stared at Hana in shock. Hana looked at them and shrugged.

"That's all I know," she said.

Lala couldn't believe this. She herself felt uncomfortable staying on a planet that wasn't hers, but Hikaru was now in a completely different universe!

"Why didn't George take all of us, then?" Elena asked. "I think he would see more value in five transformation devices instead of just one."

"He probably does," Hana agreed. "But the problem is that while Hugtan is powerful, she isn't made of steel. Even opening a portal to bring one of you here left her severely weakened. I have a feeling that putting me here put her in a coma."

Suddenly, Hana's expression grew worried, as if finding out for the first time that that was the case.

"Mechokku!" she said. "If Hugtan is in a coma _and_ being held by Criasu...I need to get back home!"

"But how are we going to do that?" Madoka asked. "It was Hugtan who sent you here."

"Yeah, and we are kinda running low on the supply of omnipotent infants in our universe," said Yuni.

"What about the Star Princesses?" Elena asked. "They can probably help us."

"That's a great idea!" Prunce proclaimed. "Lala, you fixed the rocket, right?"

Everyone redirected their eyes toward Lala. Lala now felt extremely small.

"Yes…" she began.

"It's settled then!" Prunce announced. "First thing tomorrow, we are all going to the Star Palace!"

"No," Yuni spoke up. "We can't. Not first thing tomorrow."

Prunce glared at Cure Cosmo. Yuni wasn't exactly on Prunce's good side to begin with, so this protest was enough to drive him up a wall.

"And why is that?" he growled lowly.

"Because those three have school tomorrow," Yuni said as she gestured to Lala, Elena, and Madoka. Prunce's face fell.

"Oh. That." he slowly floated his way into a chair.

"But don't worry, Prunce," Elena said. "We can all go once school's out."

"Right," Lala said seriously. She stood up straight and tall and made her eyes scan the group. "And not only can we go; we will go. I don't care how hard it is or how long it takes. We are going to rescue Hikaru and get Hana back home if it is the last thing I do lun."


	3. The Strain of School

Chapter 3 The Strain of School

"Hikaru, you really don't have to do this," Saaya said. She was shocked when Hikaru responded to her with a smile.

"Why not? If I'm going to be stuck in an alternate universe for a while, I might as well have some fun."

"Funny," Homare said with a snicker. "Most people wouldn't consider school to be fun."

Hikaru giggled. To be fair, she didn't view school as her favorite place to be either. It wasn't her least favorite, far from it, but under normal circumstances, going there wouldn't be her first choice. Of course, this wasn't a normal circumstance, was it? Who knows? Maybe attending school in an alternate reality would be really cool. Dare I say, "Kirayaba."

"Really? You consider the girl from another universe to be 'most people?'"

Homare and Saaya, despite themselves, let out some chuckles.

"That's fair," Saaya said. "You know, you and Hana are a lot alike."

"They are, aren't they?" Homare asked. Their faces slowly fell and their laughter died. It suddenly occurred to Hikaru how devastating this must be for them. Like the members of her Precure team, the members of Hugtto Precure were close friends.

"Don't worry," Hikaru told the two girls. "We'll get her back."

Saaya and Homare gave Hikaru some grateful smiles. That was when Ruru and Emiru entered the room, and they were accompanied by two men. One was young, handsome, and redheaded; the other was older and had a top hat on his head.

"Here she is," Ruru said as she gestured to Hikaru.

"She is a Precure too, I say!" Emiru announced. The redheaded man smiled as he approached Cure Star..

"Well. If that's the case, I see no reason to keep secrets." A cloud of smoke enveloped him, and when it cleared a small hamster stood in his place. The hamster had a tuft of hair on his head that was the same color as the man's. Hikaru gasped in astonishment.

"No way!" she said. The hamster laughed.

"I am Harry!" he said in a high pitched voice. He got on all fours and made his fur stick out in spikes. "Harriham Harry. I accompanied Hugtan as she escaped into the past as Cure Tomorrow!"

"Kirayaba!" Hikaru exclaimed as her eyes sparkled. The other, older man chuckled and approached her as well.

"You are quite the character, aren't you?" he asked. Hikaru stared at him in excitement.

"Are you gonna turn into a hamster, too?" Now the man let out a loud, strong laugh. It carried around the Beauty Harry store, and Hikaru couldn't help but noticed that Ruru looked slightly peeved by this display.

"No. I'm afraid that I, in all my genius, still have yet to build a device that allows me to do that." He swept his hat off his head and bowed. "I am Ruru's father, Dr. Traum."

"You're Ruru's father?" Hikaru asked. This was strange; her parents had no clue about her status as a Precure. Ruru nodded at Hikaru.

"He is the man who built me." Now Hikaru wasn't just surprised, she was confused.

"Built?" she asked. Emiru stepped forward.

"Ruru is an android," she explained. "She was built by Dr. Traum to be a servant of Criasu. She eventually joined the Precure though, and Dr. Traum was quick to follow."

"Well, I wouldn't say 'quick,'" Traum said. "These girls had to persuade me." He looked at Ruru and winked.

"Wait a minute," Hikaru said. Her excitement was growing as she went up and stood before Ruru. "So you're a robot?"

"I'm an android," Ruru corrected her. "A technically advanced robot who was modeled after a human, both physically and emotionally."

"Kirayaba!" Hikaru squealed. "Can you say 'I am a robot?'"

Ruru's eyes narrowed and she stared at Hikaru.

"No."

"What?" Hikaru asked as her face fell. "Why not?"

"Do you humans walk around everywhere announcing 'I am a human?'" Hikaru laughed.

"That's fair," she said. A cloud of smoke filled the room, and when Hikaru turned she could see Harry in his human form again.

"I hate to break up this thrilling conversation," he said, "but don't you four need to get going?"

"Oh right!" Saaya exclaimed. "I almost forgot, thanks Harry."

"And actually, it's the five of us," Homare said. "Hikaru is coming too."

"Oh?" Harry said in surprise. He examined Hikaru from head to toe. "But she doesn't have a uniform."

"Well that's easily remedied," Dr. Traum said cheerily. "Doesn't your friend Cure Yell have some spare uniforms? She can just wear those!"

There was an uncomfortable silence. It was then Dr. Traum realized what he was suggesting, and he instantly became apologetic.

"Oh my goodness! I am so sorry, I didn't mean…"

"No, it's okay," Saaya reassured him. She smiled at Hikaru, the same smile she gave her when she first woke up. "I think she would fit into Hana's uniforms perfectly, actually."

…

"You're tense."

"You don't say lun."

Lala was sitting at her desk and drumming her pencil on the surface. The classroom didn't feel right; it felt spacious, empty. The visual of Hikaru's empty desk didn't do much to help.

"You're worried about her, aren't you prunce?"

Lala looked down at her bookbag, where Prunce was hiding.

"Of course I am. How can I not be?"

"Hagoromo san?" the teacher at the front said. "Who are you talking to?" Lala chuckled nervously.

"Oh, no one lun," she said. One of the girls turned around so that she was facing Lala.

"Is everything okay, Lun chan?"

"Yes," she reassured the girl. "Everything's…" Lala looked up at the clock on the front wall. There were still two hours until school was out. Could she wait that long? No she couldn't, she decided. Whatever topic the teacher was covering, it wasn't nearly as important as getting Hikaru back.

"May I be excused?" Lala asked the teacher. "I think I'm coming down with something lun."

The teacher looked at Lala with concern before she slowly nodded.

"Sure," she said. "Are you sick?"

_Yes, sick of waiting_, Lala thought. She didn't say that, though. Instead, she just said "you could say that." Now that she had gotten her teacher's permission, Lala slung her Prunce filled bookbag over her shoulder and exited the classroom. Once in the hall, she began to run.

"What are you doing?" Prunce asked.

Lala didn't say anything, nor did she stop. She had to get Hikaru back, she just had to. Without Cure Star, the Star Twinkle Precure team wouldn't be complete. It was Hikaru had brought them together, after all. It wouldn't be right for her to not be here.


	4. Lift Off

Chapter 4 Lift Off

Hana sat at the table in the middle of the rocket's main hub. Her head was resting on the top, and aside from a pencil, it was the only thing that was laying upon the table's surface. Hana was flicking the pencil just far enough away from her so that it would be able to roll back. She had been going about this activity for the past hour or so. The pencil came rolling back down the table again, and Hana prepared herself to flick it once more. This time she did it a little too hard, so the writing utensil rolled over the other side.

"Mechokku," Hana said. She didn't say it with the same energy that she normally did, but of course she was the only one who would notice that in this moment. She went over and picked up the pencil, and when she stood up she came face to face with Yuni.

"Bored?" Yuni asked. When Hana nodded, Yuni snickered. "I don't know why I bothered to ask that; it was obvious what the answer was."

Hana didn't respond. For the first time since her arrival, she noticed that Yuni had a pair of cat ears. Hana stared at the top of Yuni's head in wonder, and Yuni, who didn't appear to be unnerved by this display at all, smiled.

"I see that you're staring at my ears."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hana said apologetically. "I didn't mean to be rude!"

"No, it's alright," Yuni said with a chuckle. "I've also got a tail to match, in case you didn't notice."

Hana looked, and indeed it appeared that Yuni had a cat tail. Her amazement increased as she saw it swish.

"That's amazing!" she said. "Is there a story behind that?"

"Sort of," Yuni said. "I am actually an alien. Lala is an alien too, but we aren't from the same planet."

"Woah! Aliens?" Hana was growing more impressed by the minute. "Did you two come to Earth to join the Precure?"

"Lala did, from what I have heard. However, while I did eventually take up the mantle of Cure Cosmo, that wasn't my original mission." Yuni held up a perfume bottle and showed it to Hana. She sprayed it on herself, and a rainbow colored light enveloped her body. Hana watched in shock as Yuni's silohuette morphed and changed. When the light cleared, Hana couldn't not believe her eyes. Yuni's face looked more like a cat's than a human's, and her entire body was covered in a peach/tan colored fur. Her hair, while it was still the same shade of blue, was styled different in a pair of poofy pigtails. The only part of Yuni's appearance that was still the same was her eyes, which were still a citrus orange.

"I originally hail from Planet Rainbow," Yuni said to Hana. Her expression became somber. "My people were turned to stone by Aiwarn, one of the notraiders. I have since used my power of transformation to stop the notraiders, but only when I became a Precure was I allowed to officially take it up a notch."

"That's so sad," Hana said, and she meant it. It reminded her of the story that Harry had told about his village getting destroyed. It was why he and his friends had joined Criasu Corporation.

"It is," Yuni agreed. "And I don't care how long it takes me; I will fix my planet. You mark my words, Hana."

Hana could only nod in response. The dark tone that was present in Yuni's voice was a little scary. Yuni noticed Hana's fear, so she chuckled to lighten the mood.

"Sorry; I promise I'm not like this all the time. I conciously try to be cheery most of the time, especially as Mao."

"Mao?" Hana asked. Yuni's eyes lit up.

"Oh that's right! Oh ho ho, you are in for a treat, Cure Yell." Yuni took the perfume bottle out and spritzed herself again. When the light cleared, Yuni had magenta hair, green eyes, and a cutesy expression. The only things that remained of her feline appearance were her ears and tail. When she spoke, the pitch of her voice was noticeably higher. "Open your ears and listen to the space idol extraordinare!"

When Yuni started to sing, Hana felt enthralled by her voice. It was playful and light, but at the same time strong enough to carry throughout the rocket. The song was also extremely catchy and fun. Hana started to tap her foot and dance, and she saw that Hikaru's fairy partner Fuwa, who had been sleeping in the corner of the room, got up and danced too. All three of them were clearly having a blast, so it took them by complete surprise when Lala entered the rocket.

"Yuni, Fuwa, Hana, buckle up," Lala said. "We're going for a ride."

"Lala!?" Yuni said in shock. "School doesn't get out until later!"

"That's what I've been telling her all the way here." Prunce said. "But she's refusing to listen to me."

"Wait a minute," Hana said. "Lala, when you 'we're going for a ride,' you don't mean that we are going into space, do you?"

Lala nodded firmly, her expression serious. Hana's jaw dropped.

"Mechokku!" she screamed. Yuni took out the perfume bottle and changed back to the state Hana had originally seen her in. She then approached her teammate, her seriousness giving Lala's a run for it's money.

"Lala," she said. "What about Elena and Madoka? Didn't we have the team agree to wait for them?"

"Our team is one member short, so as far as I'm concerned it wasn't official lun."

Lala started pressing buttons on the dashboard, and Yuni's countenance became sterner.

"Okay Lala, I understand you're concerned; we all are. But we still need to be rational about this. What if we get attacked?"

"We are not going to get attacked," Lala responded without looking up from the dashboard.

"What if the rocket gets damaged again?"

"The rocket is not going to get damaged!"

"What if Hana gets space sick?" This time Lala was so frustrated that she had to look up from the control panel.

"HANA IS NOT GOING TO GET SPACE SICK LUN!" She then looked toward Hana, and Yuni did the same. "You aren't going to get space sick, right?"

"I...I don't think I will," Hana said. She cracked a tiny smile. "If this is even slightly similiar to an airplane, then I can see myself enjoying it, actually."

"It's settled then." Lala said as she placed her antenna on a big red button. "AI? Set our coordinates for the Star Palace."

…

"Well, that wasn't bad at all!"

The school day was out. Technically it had been out for several hours, but Hikaru hadn't managed to get back to Beauty Harry with the others until around sunset. The sight of the sky was pretty enough to warrant a picture.

"You did seem to be enjoying yourself," Homare pointed out. "Our classmates also seemed to appreciate you."

"You fit right in!" Saaya exclaimed. "Although, you didn't have to reveal where you came from in your introduction speech."

"But it was true!" Hikaru said. "Besides, if I didn't say that I'm from another universe, what could I have said?"

"That you were an exchange student," Homare said. She chuckled. "Technically, that also would have been correct."

"Regardless of Hikaru's place of origin," Ruru chimed in, "I think today is has been a long day for all of us. I believe we should all get some rest."

"I agree!" Dr. Traum piped up from across the room. "Besides, this will give me a perfect opportunity to upgrade your computer system, Ruru. Remember, you said you had a few bugs?"

Ruru cast a glare at the doctor.

"That was a while ago and I wasn't refering to my system," she said. "I was referring to how you constantly bug me."

Dr. Traum's face looked more surprised than anything else.

"Ouch," he said softly. Suddenly, Emiru spoke up from her place in front of the window.

"Hey! Come look at this, I say!"

The girls, Dr. Traum and Harry gathered around the window. Hikaru squinted and could see a huge, shadowy figure stomping around the town in the distance.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It's an Oshimaida!" Harry exclaimed. "You four need to get down there!"

Saaya, Homare, Ruru and Emiru nodded and bolted for the door.

"Wait! I'm coming too!"

The Hugtto team stopped and stared at Hikaru. While Ruru's expression was mostly stoic, the others wore their shock like a pair of glasses.

"But...you can't transform," Saaya said.

"Maybe not," Hikaru said with a smile, "but that doesn't mean I can't watch. Ever since we met, I've been dying to see you guys in action."


	5. Corruption

Chapter 5 Corruption

The Oshimaida looked even more monstrous up close. Shadows were draped around it in an unnatural way, and it was smashing its surroundings like an angry child. When the Precure approached, they spotted a young man standing on a rooftop. He was wrapped in this gauze like material, and he was watching the Oshimaida gleefully.

"Bicine!" Saaya exclaimed. From atop the building, Bicine laughed.

"That's right! It's time to face your doom, Precure!"

Saaya got out her Preheart, and her teammates did the same. Ruru and Emiru joined hands, and each girl placed a mirai crystal in their respective device.

"Heart…." Saaya said.

"Shine!" The others joined in. Each of them was surrounded by a bright light, and when it cleared Hikaru gawked.

"Kirayaba," she said softly. Her eyes began to sparkle and her face broke out into a grin. "You guys look amazing!"

And they did. Saaya's name of Cure Ange was very fitting given the majestic nature of her appearance. Cure Etoile looked strong, confident, ready to kick butt and ready to save the world. And Cures Macherie and Amour were the perfect duo.

"Now!" Saaya yelled.

On her command, the Hugtto team jumped in the air. Etoile spun around and aimed her foot right at the Oshimaida's head. It made a direct hit, causing the monster's skin to bounce back like jelly. Cure Etoile pulled away from the monster and landed near Hikaru.

"We need to be careful," Etoile explained to her new friend. "With Hana gone we aren't as strong as we usually are. We can't access Cheerful style, and Saaya and I don't have attacks that can defeat an Oshimaida."

"Oshimaida!" the Oshimaida yelled. It threw a punch at Emiru and Ruru. Macherie was knocked out of the air and thrown to the ground.

"Emiru!" Ruru called out in a panic. The Oshimaida directed its attention to where Hikaru and Cure Etoile stood. It drove its fist at them, and the untransformed Cure Star had no choice but to watch.

"Hooray, Hooray! Heart...Feather!"

Saaya leaped in front of Cure Etoile and Hikaru. She held a blue, heart shaped barrier in front of them. When the Oshimaida hit it, it pulled back its fist and yelped in pain. Hikaru glanced toward Cure Amour, who was kneeling by Cure Macherie as she slowly rose to her feet.

"That was not called for, I say!" Macherie proclaimed. Cure Amour looked back up at their shadowy opponent.

"It's up to us to finish this," she said. "You ready?"

"I was born ready!"

Macherie and Amour rose into the air once again. They pulled out a set of identical guitars, each with a heart shaped body.

"Twin Love Rock Beat!" They called in unison. Emiru did a downward strum, and a heart shot toward the Oshimaida. Once enveloped, the Oshimaida looked more relaxed.

"Please accept my resignation," it said happily, and disappeared. Macherie and Amour floated back down to the others.

"Nice job guys," Cure Ange said. "We wouldn't have been able to win if it wasn't for you."

Macherie and Amour grinned at Ange and Etoile. From his place on the rooftop, Bicine was laughing maniacally.

"Great show everyone!" he said nastily. "It's just a shame your leader wasn't here to see it!"

"Leader or no leader," Homare said, "we still managed to beat you." Bicine waved a gauze covered hand.

"Small potatoes," he said. "I didn't come here just to watch an Oshimaida go on a romp, however entertaining that might be. I also came to deliver a message."

The Cures all became alert. The Hugtto team got into their fighting stances, cautious. Hikaru, on the other hand, was more curious than anything else.

"What message?" she asked. Bicine grinned.

"I just wanted to thank Cure Star on behalf of Criasu Corporation," he said. "The donation of your tools has really benefited us." Bicine jumped down from the building. Now he was standing right in front of the Cures. "And President Kurai wants to inform you of this. Once Cure Tomorrow is revived, he is going to use her power to bring more Precure here. And once that happens, you guys are as good as gone."

With that, Bicine teleported away.

…

Lala was leaning over the dashboard intently, not daring to look up. Hana had her face directed out the window and was taking everything in.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "All these planets…"

"Lala," Yuni said as she walked up to her partner's side. "Are we almost at the Star Palace?"

"Almost lun," Lala responded. "We should be landing in about five minutes."

Out the window, Hana could see a pink planetoid that was shaped like a heart. It was encircled by a blue ring. As the rocket descended, Hana could see that they were pulling up to a courtyard of sorts. It was circular in shape and had twelve pavillions around the perimeter, each bearing a different zodiac sign.

"I love this place!" Hana exclaimed. Yuni came to the window and when she looked outside, her expression turned sour.

"Something is wrong," she said. "Something happened to the Ares and Taurus Princesses."

"Which ones are those?" Hana asked, for she had trouble remembering the zodiac symbols. Yuni pointed to two separate pavillions. Unlike their brightly lit, colorful counterparts, these ones were black. Prunce came to their side, and when he got a glance of the pavillions he let out a gasp.

"Lala! We need to land immediately!" The rocket pulled up and landed in the center of the pavillion circle. Accompanied by Fuwa, the four of them got out. When she looked toward the pavillion belonging to the Taurus Star Princess, Fuwa let out a whimper.

"Fuwa," she said pitifully as she floated toward the princess. The Taurua Star Princess had a pained expression on her face, and black drops of energy were escaping from her body. Lala, Yuni, and Hana looked toward the Ares princess and saw that she was the same way.

"What's wrong with them?" Hana asked. Yuni put her head in her hands.

"Oh no," she groaned. "Hikaru had the Ares and Taurus pens."

"And someone did something to corrupt the pens prunce?!" Prunce yelled.

"Who could have done that lun!?" Lala asked as her antenna started to jerk around. Hana sighed.

"I think I know who," she said. "Criasu probably realized the power in the pens and harnessed it."

Yuni, Lala, and Prunce looked horrified. Lala's antenna stopped waving about and her expression became serious.

"If that is the case," she said, "then that means that both of our worlds are at stake."


	6. Time for a Plan

Chapter 6 Time for a Plan

By the time that Lala returned to Earth with Yuni, Hana, Fuwa, and Prunce, it was already sunset. The rocket, with the team in it, gracefully floated down onto the grassy ground. When everyone stepped out, they were greeted by Madoka and Elena, who looked worried.

"Where have you guys been?" Madoka asked.

"You didn't go to the Star Palace, did you?" asked Elena. Lala took a deep breath.

"We…"

"That's exactly what we did," Yuni cut her off. "And we found out that the Ares and Taurus princesses have had their pens corrupted."

"Corrupted?" Madoka asked in shock. "But how is that possible? I mean, Hikaru is the one who has…"

Madoka's voice trailed off as she put the pieces together. Elena's mouth gawked open.

"Hana, you said that you fight this place called Criasu," Elena said. "Is it possible for them to corrupt the pens like that?"

"I'd imagine so. If they found a way to drain their power."

Elena shook her head, unwilling to believe this. The princesses were the ones responsible for keeping the stars shining. Since they were directly tied to the pens and to one another, news like this was detrimental to everyone.

"I think it goes without saying," Lala said slowly, "that we need to get the pens back lun."

"But how prunce?" Prunce cut in.

"I don't know," Lala admitted. She closed her eyes, trying to formulate a plan. Hikaru would probably have an idea. She was the one with the imagination.

"Getting into an alternate universe is no easy feat," Yuni said. "But I don't think it's impossible. We would need a device of some sort, something that could open a portal like that. And I think I might know someone who would have such a device."

Silence. Everyone stared at Yuni, all of them a little stunned.

"Are you...are you suggesting we go to Aiwarn?" Madoka asked. Yuni nodded.

"If there is anyone in our universe who would build a device like that, it would be her."

"Wait, I'm confused," Hana said. "Who is Aiwarn?"

"She is one of the notraiders," Lala said. "She is the one responsible for the loss of Planet Rainbow. Yuni's homeworld."

"Mechokku!" Hana screamed as her eyes grew wide. "Why would she help us?"

"She wouldn't; especially not if I'm with you," Yuni said. "That's why I suggest we launch an attack. I know where she is, we can get to her easily."

"But what if she doesn't have a device like that?" Madoka asked. Lala felt dread enter her soul at the mere mention of the possibility. Yuni's countenance became dark.

"She might not. But we have no other option. As much as I hate to admit it, Aiwarn is our only hope."

"Not our only hope," Hana objected. "Remember, my team is still in my universe. They can still get to Hugtan and bring her back. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they are trying right now!"

"Even so," Elena said, "we can't depend on people in another universe to solve the problems we have in this one. I agree with Yuni; finding Aiwarn isn't a good option, but it _is_ an option."

Madoka nodded to show her support of the idea. Then she turned toward Lala.

"Lala," she said firmly but elegantly, "are you willing to use the rocket again?"

Lala closed her eyes, assessing the situation. She didn't want to go into battle, not when she had a lot of stuff piled on her plate and not when she would be pursuing a cause that could turn out to have been for nought. Nevertheless, she tightened her fist.

"I said I would do anything to get Hikaru back," she said. "And if everything includes this plan, then that's exactly what I'll do lun. Come on, everyone." She opened her eyes and faced her friends, determination in her face. "Let's go find Aiwarn."

…

Hikaru, along with the Hugtto team, walked back into Beauty Harry. Dr. Traum came out to greet them, and Harry was sitting on his shoulder in his hamster form. The doctor looked eager to find out what happened, but also a little worried.

"How did it go?" he asked. Ruru stepped forward.

"Bicine said that Criasu found a way to access the power in Hikaru's transformation devices," she explained. "He also told us that, once Hugtan is revived, they are going to use her power to bring other Precure here. Chances of their success...one hundred percent."

"Yeesh," Harry said. "Those are not good odds."

Emiru stepped toward the doctor. She looked frightened out of her mind, desperate beyond belief. She even went so far as to grab Dr. Traum's torso, seeking to find an answer.

"You've got to tell us what to do!"

Dr. Traum looked down at the frightened Cure Macherie with sadness in his eyes.

"Child," he said softly, "I'm afraid I don't know what to do."

"Well, you gotta figure out, I say!" Emiru shouted as tears started to form. "If Criasu goes through with this, then we run the risk of losing Hugtan _and_ Hana!"

"But how am I supposed to help?" Dr. Traum asked.

"You used to work for Criasu," Saaya reminded him. "I think that you can use the knowledge you have of their headquarters."

"Yeah," Homare agreed. "You can tell us their weak points; where we can attack."

Dr. Traum shook his head.

"They are heavily guarded; we have no possibility of success if we launch a direct assault." Suddenly, he looked at Ruru, his eyes shining with an idea taking hold. He smiled. "But that doesn't mean we can't catch them by surprise."

Everyone's eyes drifted to Ruru. Ruru looked a little apprehensive, and Hikaru was ignorant to the reason why.

"What are you talking about?" Hikaru asked. Dr. Traum's smile grew brighter.

"I built Ruru specifically for Criasu's use," he explained. "She is a custom made android that the company was not at all happy to lose. I have a hunch that they will be happy to have her back."

Ruru's eyes grew wide. Fear settled in as she grasped what the doctor was saying.

"Are you suggesting," she said nervously, "what I think you are suggesting?"

Dr. Traum was grinning so brightly now that even his molars were visible. The other girls looked just as startled as Ruru.

"We take them down from within," Dr. Traum said. He turned and headed to a whiteboard on the other side of the shop. He started to draw a diagram onto it, depicting the plan. "Ruru and I will go to Criasu's headquarters. We will pretend that we want back in the company."

"Wait, hold up one second," Homare said as she raised up her hand. "The people at Criasu aren't stupid; they will see right through you if you two go up to their doorstep the day after they've revealed their plan."

"She's right," Harry chimed in. "You guys will never get in!"

"Not by ourselves," Dr. Traum agreed. "That's where she comes in."

He gestured toward Hikaru. Hikaru squirmed in her seat.

"What good will I be?" she asked.

"Criasu would never deny us if we bring them a Precure as a prisoner," Traum said. "And to make the act even more convincing, I'll have Ruru give them her PreHeart."

"WHAT!" Ruru yelled as she stood up. "Are you insane? That's exactly what they want!"

"Which is exactly the reason why we should do it," Traum responded. "They won't question our loyalty if we show them that they are our first priority."

Ruru bit her lip. It was apparent to everyone in the room that she wasn't on board with this, because nobody else was on board with it. Emiru in particular looked frightened and apprehensive.

"I can't become Cure Macherie without Ruru!" she said. "If we give them her PreHeart, I won't be able to fight! I'll be a sitting duck, I say!"

"Not for long you won't," Traum said. "We will get the PreHeart back as soon as we've rescued Hugtan."

"And how are we going to do that?" Harry asked. Traum smiled as he took him down from his shoulder and held him in the palm of his hand.

"I plan on having us sneak you into the building while you are in Hikaru's pocket. You know the place just as well as I do, and thanks to your size you can also navigate the ventilation system."

Like the others, Harry looked a little hesitant. Hikaru looked between him and Ruru. Of course, there was one thing that wasn't being said, one major elephant in the room that could be a serious flaw in the plan.

"Dr. Traum," she began, "what exactly would Criasu do to Ruru if they found out that she tried to trick them?"

Traum was silent. He placed Harry down on the ground and sighed.

"Well, seeing how she is valuable to them as a servant," he said, "they would most likely reprogram her."

Everyone in the room gasped. The air seemed to escape the shop, and the silence was so strong you could hear a pin drop.

"NO!" Emiru squealed in fright. She turned to Ruru and took her hands. "Ruru, you can't do it! It's too risky!"

Ruru closed her eyes. The desperation was strong in Emiru's voice.

"I have to do it." She looked Emiru straight in her crimson eyes. "It's high risk, but it's also high reward." She stepped toward Dr. Traum. "What time do we head out?"

"In the morning," Traum said. "We all need to rest beforehand."

Emiru was crying, her voice shaking and weak.

"Ruru…"

"Don't worry, Emiru." Ruru turned toward her partner and gave her a smile. "It'll be okay. We have exactly an eighty four percent chance that this will work. We can do it; I know we can."


	7. Stepping Into Action

Chapter 7 Stepping Into Action

Hikaru, along with Harry, Traum, and the Hugtto team, all rose bright and early the next morning. Hikaru herself didn't have to do a lot to prepare, but Ruru did. Hikaru waited around with the others, trying to make small talk to pass the time. When Ruru was finished, she came out dressed in a black and violet dress and long boots. She had a cape flowing behind her, and her long hair was tied up and decorated by a black headband.

"How do I look?" Ruru asked. Saaya gave her a smile.

"You look great," she said.

"You look like you belong at Criasu," Homare said as she gave her teammate the same smile as Saaya. Ruru gave a small breath.

"We had better get going."

"Right," said Dr. Traum as he stood up. "Hikaru, are you ready?"

Hikaru's nervousness was eating at her. She nodded uneasily. Traum, satisfied, looked to Harry on the floor.

"Harry?"

Harry jumped into the pocket of Hikaru's skirt.

"I'm ready!"

"Good," Traum said. He turned to Ruru's teammates. "Remember everyone, you are to wait near the back of the building. Once Harry has reached Hugtan, he will go to the window and give you the signal."

"We know," Homare said confidently. Emiru was shaking.

"I can't believe we are about to do this," she said weakly. Hikaru flashed her a smile.

"It's going to be okay guys. We're Precure, after all. We fight for good, and it is a known fact that good always prevails!"

Emiru took a big breath. She looked at Hikaru and gave her a small but sturdy smile.

"Thank you, Cure Star," she said softly. Hikaru gave her new friends one last smile and one last nod before she headed for the shop's exit. Ruru and Traum joined her shortly afterward, and together the three of them stood on the porch. Hikaru put her hand on Ruru's shoulder.

"You nervous?"

"Of course," Ruru responded. The look in her eyes supported that claim.

"Ruru chan, we can do this," Traum said reassuringly. "You said so yourself; we have an eighty four percent chance of success."

Ruru took a shaking breath.

"Which leaves us with a sixteen percent chance of failure."

Traum looked at Ruru sympathetically. There was fear in his eyes; he did not want to lose her.

"We don't have to do it, if you're too nervous," he said. "I can think of another plan!"

"No," Ruru said as she shook her head. "I have assessed every other possible scenario. Our second best option leaves us with only a forty six percent of success."

"Oh man," Hikaru said in shock. "That's less than half!"

"If we want to fix things," Ruru said, "this is how we have to do it."

Traum smiled. There was a warmth and a pride in his eyes, the kind that can only be found in the eyes of a parent.

"You are very brave, Cure Amour," he said. "I am very proud of you."

Ruru looked at her creator and gave him a small smile. A hopeful and courageous one.

"Thank you, Papa," she said softly. She turned her head forward and took a deep breath.

"Alright," she said strongly. "Let's go."

…

Hana and the Star Twinkle team crouched behind a huge, alien boulder. Lala could see a fence made of fabric surrounding an area that was at least twenty feet wide.

"Aiwarn is in there?" The others nodded.

"And she's very heavily guarded prunce," Prunce said. He was referring to the two nottorei who were standing at the entrance.

"Yeah," Elena agreed. "How are we gonna get in?"

"Well, I don't think attacking outright would be a good idea," Madoka said. "We need something cunning." She gave everyone standing to her right a smile. "And thankfully, I know just the person. Yuni?"

Madoka turned to Yuni on her left. Yuni looked away from the camp, suddenly interested.

"We need you to become Blue Cat," Madoka said. Yuni's eyes grew wide.

"What? Really?" she asked. "But I thought you didn't like it when I became Blue Cat!"

"We don't," Madoka said. "But neither does Aiwarn."

Yuni looked down, contemplating her choice. Lala wished she could see what was going on in her head.

"Yuni, are you ready?" Madoka asked. Yuni closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"You know what, Madoka?" She opened her eyes and turned to her teammates, a sly smile appearing on her lips. "I've been waiting for you to ask me that my whole life."

Yuni stood up with everyone. She took out her perfume bottle.

"Okay. Everybody stand back." Yuni sprayed herself and was wrapped in the rainbow light. When it cleared, she was wearing a blue colored dress, a pair of sunglasses, and a top hat.

"Woah! Stylish!" Hana exclaimed.

"The phantom thief of space has reappeared!" Yuni said as she tipped the side of her hat. "And she's about to pull off the heist of the century!"

"You got this Yuni!" Lala said.

"Give it everything you've got!" said Elena. Yuni gave a mischievous, confident smile.

"I always do." With that she ran, sneaking into the camp and slipping past the guards unnoticed.

"She won't take long," Prunce told Hana. "She never does."

As soon as he finished saying that, Blue Cat reappeared with an item in hand.

"I'm back!"

"Wow, you weren't kidding!" Hana said. Madoka looked at Yuni intently.

"What did you take?"

"This," Yuni said as she held up a silver ray gun. "Without this baby, we won't have to worry about any notriggers."

"Nice!" Madoka exclaimed joyously. "Now how are we going to draw out Aiwarn?"

"Only one way I know how," Yuni said. "By putting on a show." Blue Cat pulled out a collection of fireworks from her pack. She stuck them in the ground and lit the fuse, telling everyone to stand back as they went off. They were glorious; they looked like mini supernovas. Within minutes, a purple haired cyclops girl was standing in the entrance.

"What's going on here?" she yelled. Yuni stood upon the rock.

"Enjoying the fireworks?" she asked Aiwarn. "I picked out only the best for you."

Aiwarn looked surprised at the sight of her rival, but her countenance quickly shifted into fury.

"Blue CAT!" she yelled with gritted teeth.

"It's nice to see you again, Aiwarn." Yuni held up the gun. "Looking for this?'

Aiwarn's anger was almost completely overrun by shock.

"That's mine!" she said.

"Oh? Is it now?" Yuni said with a taunting tone.

"YOU GIVE ME MY GUN BACK!" Aiwarn screamed. Yuni flashed another taunting smile.

"Well if you want it so badly," she said, "why don't you come and take it?"

Yuni dashed away with the speed of a cheetah. Aiwarn ran after her.

"You get back here!" she yelled in a fit of rage. The other Precure got to their feet.

"Go, go, go!" Madoka urged them. Together the four girls ran into the camp. But once they entered, they were met with a nasty surprise.


	8. Creeping Darkness

Chapter 8 Creeping Darkness

"Nottorei!"

There were hundreds of them, and they were all facing the Precure. Lala, Elena, and Madoka got out their Star Color Pendants, and Hana got out here PreHeart.

"Star Color Pendant!"

"Heart Shine!"

Each of the girls was surrounded by light. When it cleared, Cure Milky, Cure Selene, Cure Soleil, and Cure Yell stood facing the nottorei. They all yelled as they charged at the foot soldiers.

"Milky Shock!"

Lala pointed her antenna at the nottorei in front of her, and teal-colored lightning bolts shot out of the tips.

"Soleil Shoot!"

A ball of fire formed in the air, which Elena kicked toward the nottorei intensely.

"Selene Arrow!"

Madoka aimed an arrow that appeared to be made out of pure moonlight at her foes. Hana got out her pom poms.

"Hurray, hurray! Heart for You!"

A pink heart shot out toward the nottorei. They let out a dreamy, happy squeal of delight before they were knocked to the ground.

"Let's go!" Elena shouted. The four of them ran to a tent near the back of the camp. Inside it they found barrels upon barrels of mechanical devices.

"It's gotta be here somewhere lun," Lala said as she reached into a barrel and pulled out a toaster.

"But how will we know when we find it?" Madoka asked as she pulled a robotic rubber duck from another barrel.

"You're right!" Elena said once she had found a Darknest bobble head. "We don't even know what it looks like!"

"Uh, guys!" Hana called from across the room. She pulled a pink and golden colored laser gun out of one of the barrels. "Do you think this could be it?"

Lala approached and took the gun.

"Well," she said. "It appears to be made from the right material." She pointed to a chamber full of twinkling, multi-colored lights. "And it appears to use magic as its power source lun. I think this might be it!"

"Excellent!" Elena exclaimed. "Now let's go!"

The girls stepped out of the tent with the gun in hand. Outside they gasped; even more nottorei surrounded them.

"Nottorei!" the creatures proclaimed. Milky handed the gun to Cure Yell.

"Hana," she said. "Taking this and find Yuni lun. We'll join you later."

Hana nodded and jumped into the air. She flew over the hoard of nottorei and could hear her friends giving their battle cries. Once outside the camp, she ran across the ground. Once she ran over a hill, she saw Yuni fighting Aiwarn in the valley down below.

"Give up, Aiwarn!" Blue Cat called as she blocked Aiwarn's attack.

"NEVER!" Aiwarn threw another punched and missed. "You are unbelievable! First you try to trick me by posing as Bakenyan, and now you try to run away after stealing my gun? You're a coward!"

Hana came closer. She could see Yuni give a sly smile.

"I'm less of a coward than you are," she said. Aiwarn gritted her teeth and growled.

"You are such an annoying stain!" she snarled. "YOU ARE NO RAINBOWNIAN!"

Silence befell the scene. Hana could see that Yuni looked shocked beyond words.

"Aiwarn." She took of her glasses. "You just crossed the line. HANA!"

Blue Cat tossed the gun to Cure Yell. Hana caught in and smashed it to the ground. Aiwarn looked horrified as her invention lay in a million pieces.

"NO!" she cried. Yuni raised up her Pendant.

"Star Color Pendant!" she yelled. She was bathed in light, and Blue Cat was replaced by Cure Cosmo. Cosmo flew at Aiwarn and threw a punch at her. Now Yuni was calling the shots, and all Aiwarn could do was protect her face. Milky, Soleil, and Selene came into the valley, and when they did, Cosmo grabbed Aiwarn by the neck and held her aloft.

"You're both outnumbered _and_ outpowered," she said. "Now I suggest you get out of here before **we** kick your butt."

She let Aiwarn go, and the alien cyclops sprinted away. Yuni took a deep breath and turned to Hana.

"How did it go; did you find it?"

"Yes," Hana said with a smile. She showed the gun to Cosmo, and her orange eyes grew wide.

"She has it," she said in disbelief. She took the gun from Cure Yell and aimed it at the wall. She pushed a button and a portal appeared. A dark hallway was visible on the other side.

"Hana, does that look like your world?" Elena asked.

"Yes!" Hana exclaimed joyously. "That looks the inside of Criasu's headquarters!"

"We're coming, Hikaru!" Lala yelled. She jumped into the portal and Selene turned toward the others.

"Let's go!" Suddenly, the gun started to beep. "What's going on?"

Yuni examined the side of the gun in horror.

"It's out of juice!" The portal disappeared, leaving the Precure stunned.

"Lala!" Hana yelled.

…

Traum, Ruru, and Hikaru stood in front of Criasu's front door. Traum knocked, and they were greeted by a serious looking man. His face was serious and his blue hair was in a ponytail.

"Dr. Traum," he said.

"Listle," Traum greeted him. Listle narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"Because," he said, "we are coming back to Criasu."

"We have also brought you a Precure as a captive," Ruru said stoically. Listle looked like he wasn't buying any of that.

"What's going on here?"

"Nothing!" Traum said as he held up his hands in what looked like surprise. "We just want back in the company!" Ruru took out her PreHeart.

"I officially revoke my name of Cure Amour." She placed the device in Listle's hand "I trust that the company can make use of my transformation device."

Listle stared at the PreHeart. There was a greedy gleam in his normally empty eyes.

"We can indeed," he said quietly. "Come in."

Traum smiled and stepped forward. Ruru grabbed Hikaru's hand and lead her into the building. Hikaru put her hand on her pocket, just to make sure that Harry was alright.

Like everything else about Criasu, their front lobby was dark. There was a dread to the darkness, an ugly feeling that lingered in the air. Hikaru felt fear run through her spine as she was lead into the hallway.

"We will take Cure Star to the basement," Ruru told Listle as they approached a staircase. "She will be held their until we take her to the President."

"Yes," Listle said sinisterly. "Yes she will."

The darkness and dread accentuated as Hikaru was lead into the underbelly of the building. The cell she was thrown into was empty save for a bare bed on the right hand wall.

"Don't get too comfortable," Listle told Hikaru. "You won't be here for long."

Listle left. Once he was gone, Ruru and Traum removed their somber expressions.

"You're doing great, Hikaru," Ruru whispered.

"Thanks," Hikaru said. "You guys too; you're very convincing."

"Well," Traum said with a chuckle, "We've had a lot of practice."

"There is a vent just underneath the bed," Ruru said. "Good luck."

With that, Ruru and Traum left. Once she was sure no one else was in the hallway, Hikaru moved the bed across the floor. She could see the vent right above the floor.

"Okay Harry," Hikaru said as she opened her pocket. "Are you ready?"

Harry jumped out and grinned up at Cure Star.

"As I'll ever be!" He pried the vent open and disappeared into the shaft. Hikaru moved the bed back into place, and as soon as she was done, three people entered the room. One of them was a tan woman in a red dress, and the other two were tall young man.

"Well well well. A Precure from another dimension," the woman said smugly. "Our president wants to see you."

Hikaru took a deep breath and stepped forward. The two young men put their hands on her shoulders and lead her out.


	9. Criasu's President

Chapter 9 Criasu's President

The darkness in the hallway leading to the main room was the worst that Hikaru had ever experienced, and that is not even taking into account the fact that she was about to come face to face with President Kurai. The henchmen of the young woman held onto her shoulders like their hands were glued to her. Hikaru was scared, scared of what might happen in that room, scared of the fact that she couldn't transform, scared of the possibility that the plan could fail. If the plan failed, that was it. Hikaru would be stuck in this parallel universe forever.

The door opened, allowing Hikaru to see that she was in a spacious, circular room with a high ceiling. Around the room were desks that were floating in midair, as well as platforms that were doing the same. The two men brought Hikaru over to a grounded platform, and it was only once she had stepped onto it and a force field surrounded her as she rose into the air, that Hikaru could breathe slightly easier. The henchmen weren't with her anymore. The only one who was close to her was Dr. Traum, who was standing on a platform right next to her. Ruru was standing in the middle of the room, staring up at the ceiling.

"Thank you, Gelos, Jinjin, Takumi," Listle said to the Criasu employees who had escorted Hikaru. "Now that she is here, the meeting can commence."

Everyone's eyes directed up toward the ceiling. Hikaru looked up, and a frightened gasp escaped her throat. There he was: President George Kurai. He was...Hikaru didn't know what he was. He looked partially like a man, but he had skin and hair greyer than smoke. His teeth were gritted into a fiercsome expression, and his eyes….they looked like the fires of hell.

"President Kurai," Ruru spoke up. If she was unnerved by the appearance of the president, she did a good job of hiding it. In fact, her inflection was so monotone and stoic that it reminded Hikaru that Ruru was, in fact, a robot. "Dr. Traum and I hope to be of good use to Criasu Corporation. During our time as allies to the Precure, we have gathered information about them that we have no doubt you would find valuable."

Hikaru exchanged a look with Traum. What Ruru was telling Kurai wasn't concerning, at least not as much as it could be. Before they had left, Dr. Traum had discussed with the Precure what Ruru could say to the president when she was brought before him.

"We have also brought Cure Star, leader of the Star Twinkle Precure team, to you," Ruru continued. "Considering that you have went through a lot of trouble to bring her here, I assume that would want her as a hostage."

Kurai's eyes narrowed, making shivers run down Hikaru's spine.

"We can definitely use the information you have regarding your former comrades," he said. Hikar looked at Traum and saw that he was a little uneasy. "However, what use do we have of a Precure who can't transform and whose powers we have already exploited?"

Hikaru looked down at Ruru. She had no idea how Ruru would answer this. Despite this, Ruru remained poised.

"The power within Cure Star's transformation device has already proven to be of use to the company, Mr. President," Ruru said. "If you manage to get all of her team, then just imagine the possibilities with that kind of power at your disposal."

Hikaru's eyes grew wide. Was Ruru suggesting that they brought her friends here? Hikaru looked at Traum, he looked pleased.

"Hikaru," he whispered, "if your friends are brought here, they will be able to help us defeat Criasu!"

Hikaru glanced back at Ruru, beaming.

"You're right!" she exclaimed. "We didn't even discuss this; Ruru's very smart."

Dr. Traum smiled and dried a tear from his eyes.

"That's my girl," he said happily. The president looked to be considering it. After a minute he smiled.

"You have proven yourself to be useful, RUR 9500," he said. "You will accompany Listle and Dr. Traum as they work on a way of reviving Cure Tomorrow."

Hikaru smiled warmly as the platforms that she, Ruru, and Traum were standing on were lowered to the ground. Once she was no longer airborne though, the door burst open with intensity. Bicine entered, his face vicious and nasty.

"They are spies, every single one of them!" He held something a loft in his gauze covered hand, and Hikaru gasped at the sight of Hariham Harry. "I found this guy in the room where Cure Tomorrow's being held. He was trying to open the capsule!"

"Harry…" Hikaru whispered in fear and shock. Harry looked down at the floor in defeat.

"I'm sorry guys; I should have been more careful." Above, President Kurai growled.

"Seize them!"

Before any of the three could run, Jinjin and Takumi had Hikaru's and Traum's arms pinned behind their backs. Gelos approached Ruru and held her by the arms.

"Take them down to the basement and lock them up," Kurai ordered. The three employees started to lead them away, but before they could even move a foot George spoke up. "Except...for the android. I think I can make use of her. Gelos, shut her down!"

Gelos tightened her grip on Cure Amour. Ruru wriggled and squirmed, trying to pry free from her.

"Let me go!" she cried.

"Hold still!" Gelos demanded. She started searching the back of Ruru's neck. "Where's the off switch on this thing?"

As soon as she finished saying that, Gelos managed to find a button. A sound could be heard, as if a computer monitor was going dead. Ruru went completely limp in Gelos' arms.

"System shutting dowwwnnn…" Gelos dropped her to the floor, where she laid there like a sack of potatoes.

"Now," President Kurai addressed Gelos, "take her down to the lab and get her reprogrammed."

"NO!" Hikaru and Traum cried. Traum started struggling against Takumi's grip.

"Ruru chan!" Gelos walked past them with Ruru in her arms. Hikaru was horrified to see that Ruru's eyes were empty and vacant, her pupils completely gone in the misty violet of her lifeless irises. Not knowing what she could do, Hikaru stared at the floor as Jinjin and Takumi started to lead their prisoners back to the basement. Once they were about halfway down the hall, Traum let out a little whimper. Hikaru looked at him and saw that his face was drenched in tears.

"Are you alright?" Hikaru asked. Traum sniffled.

"I can't lose her!" Traum said, his voice breaking. "Ruru can't get reprogrammed! I can't let that happen!" He sighed in defeat. "But what can we do?"

Hikaru thought about it, but in all honesty there wasn't a lot to think about. Things did look pretty bleak.

"I don't know," Hikaru admitted. Suddenly, a sound fell upon Hikaru's ears. It sounded….melodic, sparkly. Jinjin and Takumi must have heard it too, because they stopped. Traum looked at Hikaru.

"What is that?"

The sound grew louder and louder. Hikaru looked up and saw a ball of light forming in the dark hallway. Suddenly, a screaming noise could be heard as well. Then, when the ball of light was big enough, a portal opened up and a girl dropped to the floor. Traum gasped.

"What the…?" he exclaimed. The girl stood up, and Hikaru's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Lala?"

Lala, fully clad in her Cure Milky attire, stared at Hikaru with her teal eyes. Her starry pupils twinkled in wonder and amazement.

"Hikaru?"


	10. Introducing an Alien

Chapter 10 Introducing an Alien

"Hikaru lun!"

Milky didn't waste anytime; as soon as she saw Hikaru, she wrapped her arms around her. At least she tried to. Jinjin and Takumi were quick to stop her. Thankfully, Lala did have a way to disable them.

"Milky Shock!"

The lightning bolts struck the two villains so quickly that it was practically a blink and miss moment. Once Jinjin and Takumi were knocked out on the floor, Lala then wrapped her arms around her best friend. Hikaru did the same while laughing happily.

"Oh, Hikaru!" Lala exclaimed. "It really is you!" She let go of Cure Star and directed her eyes toward Dr. Traum, who she was starting to notice for the first time. "Who is this lun?"

Dr. Traum, despite the fact that he was initially shocked by Cure Milky's sudden appearance, gave the alien girl an elegant smile and tipped his hat to her.

"I am Dr. Traum Tatsuya. I am an ally of the Precure and have gotten to know Cure Star. I assume that you are one of her teammates?"

"Yes," Lala said. "My name is Hagoromo Lala, or Cure Milky."

"Ah, Cure Milky. A very beautiful and unique name." Lala blushed at the compliment.

"Thank you lun," she said. That was when Hikaru had finally processed this scenario enough to realize that there were things Lala had to explain.

"Lala, why are you here? HOW did you get here!?"

"The rest of us went to find Aiwarn to see if she had a device to bring us here," Lala explained. "We found she had a ray gun."

"Okay, then why aren't the others here?" Hikaru asked. Lala looked a little uneasy.

"I don't know lun. I was the first to jump through the portal. I'm afraid that something might have happened to them."

Dr. Traum looked a little concerned, and Hikaru was starting to feel the same way.

"Well then we need to get them here as soon as possible," he said. "We need to find out where Cure Tomorrow is so that she can be revived."

"Are you talking about Hugtan?" Lala asked. Dr. Traum and Hikaru stared at her in surprise.

"Yes!" Dr. Traum said. "Did Hana tell you about her?"

Lala nodded in response. It was then that Hikaru realized just how big of a problem they were facing. Not only did they now have to revive Hugtan, get Hikaru's Star Color Pendant back, and rescue Ruru, but they had to do it while they were severely outnumbered by Criasu's employees and Oshimaidas. Upon voicing these concerns, Traum's and Milky's countenances fell.

"That does seem like a predicament," Traum said.

"If only we had more Precure to help us," Lala said. It was then Hikaru got an idea.

"Wait a second; we do! Hana's Precure team are waiting outside the building!"

Once that detail was recalled, the three of them began to run down the hallways. They had to do it stealthily for fear of running into a Criasu employee, or worse, an Oshimaida. Thankfully they only came across two, and both times Lala was able to disable them with her Milky Shock. When Hikaru saw the Hugtto team standing on the ground about ten stories below them, she opened the window and called out to them. Cure Ange and Cure Etoile, both of them holding onto Emiru's hands, jumped up and entered the window. All three of them were shocked and concerned to see that it was not Harry who had prompted them to enter the building.

"Where's Harry? Is he okay?" Homare asked.

"He was discovered by Bicine," Hikaru explained. "And that's not all; President Kurai has ordered Ruru to be reprogrammed!"

This statement caused Emiru to start hyperventilating. The only thing that could help her on that front was Homare's comfort, and even then it was barely effective.

"Don't worry, we'll get her back," Homare said, mainly addressing Emiru. It was then that Saaya noticed Lala.

"Who are you?"

Cure Milky stepped forward and smiled.

"I am Cure Milky, one of Hikaru's teammates! I assume that you three are Hana's teammates?"

"They are indeed!" Hikaru explained happily. "This is Cure Ange, Cure Etoile, and Cure Macherie!"

Each of the cures gave Lala a nod when Hikaru gestured to them. Regardless, Saaya was still confused.

"Hikaru, how did she..?"

"I'll explain later," Hikaru promised. "Right now we have bigger problems, like rescuing Ruru."

"I'll do that I say!" Emiru announced. "You can't have Cure Macherie without Cure Amour after all!"

"I don't think it would be wise to do that alone," Dr. Traum said as he gestured to Cure Milky. "I think Lala here should accompany you."

Lala nodded in agreement. Saaya stepped forward.

"We also need to get to Hugtan," she said. "I'll do that; I have the stuff to revive her."

"I'll go with you!" Hikaru said, eager to jump at the chance of meeting Cure Tomorrow. Cure Etoile, was focusing on a bigger issue.

"What about Harry? We need to rescue him!" Homare didn't just sound worried; she sounded genuinely frightened.

"You're right," Traum agreed. "You and I will do that, Homare."

Homare breathed a sigh of relief. Saaya put on a serious expression as she turned to face down the hallway.

"Let's split up now; we're running out of time!" With that, the party went their separate ways.


	11. Mess With One Cure

Chapter 11 Mess With One Cure...

While Lala was the one with the magic, Emiru was the one leading the way. This seemed like the most logical choice; it was her world, after all. Besides, Emiru was too stubborn and determined to let anyone else lead her best friend's rescue mission.

"Forward, I say!" Emiru urged Lala. "We can't stop for anything!"

Milky noticed how exhausted Emiru was right now. She was red in the face and was panting heavily. She needed to stop, but Lala didn't stop her. Criasu wouldn't wait for them. No enemy would.

At last, Lala and Emiru reached the lab in the basement. Lala felt uneasy; it was like the darkness was being absorbed by her skin. She saw a capsule lying in the corner of the room, and in that capsule laid a girl. Her skin was smooth and clean, her hair a beautiful lavender. This had to be Ruru.

"Ruru!" Emiru screamed. She rushed toward the capsule, a joyous and worried expression on her face. Before she could reach her best friend, a woman with olive green hair swooped down in front of her. She wore one of the most sadistic smiles Lala had ever seen. Emiru gasped.

"Gelos!" The woman cackled.

"Your fighting spirit is truly adorable, Cure Macherie. But you can't win this." Gelos reached into her pocket and pulled out Ruru's Preheart. Emiru stared at it with wide eyes, and so did Lala. Gelos' eyes gleamed with wicked intent. "I am seriously considering breaking this thing in half."

Lala rushed forward and aimed her antenna at Gelos.

"Milky…"

"Hope for tomorrow, begone! Negative wave!" Gelos called out. She pulled out what looked like a playing card. Emiru was enveloped in darkness, and Lala realized that Gelos was exploiting her own negativity. "Come forth, Oshimaida!"

She threw the card at a computer on the other side of the room. The device was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, a huge monster with yellow eyes stood in its place.

"Oshimaida!"

Lala faced the creature and lunged at it. She threw a punch, but the Oshimaida threw one back. Lala was able to dodge its attacks, but even then only barely. The Oshimaida shot its hand forward and grabbed Cure Milky. Lala struggled but couldn't get free.

"Come on!" Gelos yelled. She was gripping the Preheart in her hands and was trying to break it apart. "Why are these things so durable?!"

Lala felt fury surge up in her. She directed her attention toward the Oshimaida.

"Milky Shock!"

Lightning shot out of her star capped antenna, and the Oshimaida screamed. It let Cure Milky go and fell to the ground. It wasn't defeated, but it was unconscious, so it couldn't fight. Milky yelled as she charged at Gelos. She kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall to the ground. The transformation device flew out of her hand, and Lala caught it before it hit the ground.

"You mess with one Precure," Lala said. "You mess with all of them lun!" With her foes disabled, Lala ran to the capsule and opened it up. When the capsule was open completely, Ruru seemed to stir. She opened her eyes, which were filled with an uncanny look of fright.

"Where am I?"

Ruru glanced to her side and saw Lala. Lala looked at her with gentle concern.

"Are you Cure Amour?"

"Why...yes," Ruru said. She looked at Lala in confusion. "Who...who are you?"

"I am Hagoromo Lala, or Cure Milky," Lala explained. "I'm one of Hikaru's teammates."

Ruru's eyes grew wide.

"Hikaru's teammate? But how…?"

The Oshimaida rose up. It growled at the two cures. Ruru stared at it with wide eyes until she noticed Emiru enveloped in darkness.

"Emiru!" She rose out of the capsule and rushed toward her partner. "Emiru, can you hear me?!"

Cure Macherie looked colorless and lifeless. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Ruru?" Suddenly the darkness fell away and the color returned to her appearance. "Ruru, it is you!"

"Yes, it is!" She smiled at her. "It's gonna be okay!"

The Oshimaida approached the two girls, its appearance the very essence of disturbing.

"Oshimaida!"

"Emiru, do you have your PreHeart?" Emiru pulled it out.

"Of course!"

"And here's yours, Ruru," Lala said as she handed the device to Cure Amour. Ruru looked at Emiru, her eyes shining with determination and confidence.

"You ready?"

"I am, I say!" The two inserted their mirai crystals into their devices and joined hands. "Heart Shine!"

Cure Amour and Cure Macherie stood there when the light cleared away. The took out their guitars.

"Twin Love Rock Beat!"

Emiru did a downward strum, and a heart shot at the monster. It vanished with a twinkle.

"Come on!" Ruru said, and the three of them left the room.


	12. Worlds Collide

Chapter 12 Worlds Collide

"Are you okay, Hikaru?" Cure Ange asked.

"I'm fine," Hikaru said in between breaths. "I am a fast…."

Hikaru had to stop, for talking while running was becoming painful. She put her hand on the wall, determined to catch her breath. Saaya came up to her, a look of gentle concern shining in her cyan eyes.

"If it's too much work for you…."

"_It's not_!" Hikaru exclaimed. "I can do this, Saaya! I'm a Precure after all!"

Now the concern in Cure Ange's eyes shifted to pity.

"Not right now you aren't," she said. "You can't transform."

Hikaru felt anger building up inside her. She stared into Saaya's eyes, allowing Cure Ange to see the furious fire raging in her own pink ones.

"That doesn't matter!" Hikaru said. "I am still Cure Star! You can't separate Hoshina Hikaru from Cure Star; it's impossible! Just because one has longer hair doesn't mean that the other is any less capable!"

There was a moment of silence. Hikaru could see a change in Saaya's expression once she had finished talking. It looked like comprehension. While the pity was still there, Hikaru knew that Cure Ange understood what she was trying to say.

"Am I wrong?" Hikaru asked Saaya.

"N...no, you're right," she said after a minute. "But Hikaru, you can't fight."

The fury melted away from Hikaru's face and was replaced by a smile.

"You're right Saaya. I can't fight physically, but I can still fight. If I couldn't, then Dr. Traum wouldn't have wanted me to be here at all. I can cheer you guys on, for example. By giving you and your team emotional support when you are fighting, I am still fighting."

Saaya grinned at Hikaru. Then, when Hikaru had finally caught enough of her breath back, they started running again. Withing ten minutes, they reached the room where Hugtan was being held. When they opened the door, they were relieved to see that there were no Oshimaidas.

"Hugtan!" Saaya yelled. She ran over to the capsule in the center of the room. Hikaru followed, and when she looked inside she could see a little baby with pinkish blonde hair. She was wearing a headpiece with a blue-silver heart in the center of her forehead. Her skin looked soft and delicate, and her eyes were closed. Her expression was peaceful in an uncanny way.

Saaya opened up the capsule and held Hugtan in her arms. She got out one of her mirai crystals, and the power was absorbed into the blue heart on Hugtan's forehead. Slowly she began to stir.

"Shaaya?" she said groggily. Cure Ange beamed.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright?" she exclaimed as she cradled Cure Tomorrow in a hug. Hikaru's eyes glittered.

"Kirayaba," she said softly. Hugtan glanced at her and gave a small smile.

"Cure Star," she said. Hikaru laughed.

"Yes. I'm Cure Star! It's nice to meet you Hugtan!"

Hugtan smiled. Then she held up her arms.

"Hug You!"

The heart on her forehead started to glow. Saaya and Hikaru looked to the other side of the room and saw a rainbow colored portal. Five silhouettes could be seen in the light, and they were getting bigger and bigger by the second. Finally, Cure Soleil, Cure Selene, Cure Cosmo, Fuwa, and Prunce dropped to the ground. Hikaru squealed with delight.

"KIRAYABA!"

"Hikaru?" Elena asked as she glanced up. Hikaru ran over to her teammates and gave them all a hug. They all returned it, even Yuni.

"Hikaru, where are we?" asked Madoka. "Where's Lala?"

"She's on a rescue mission." Hikaru gestured to Saaya. "This is Cure Ange, or Yakushiji Saaya. And that is Hugtan."

Saaya waved at the Star Twinkle Team, and Hugtan did the same. Then, she created another portal, and Cure Yell was standing on the floor.

"Hana!" Saaya exclaimed.

"Saaya! Hugtan!" Hana rushed froward and gave her friends a hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you are alright!"

Hiakru watched happily as Saaya and Hana reunited. When she finished, she shared a look with Cure Yell, which caused Hana's countenance to become determined.

"Okay everyone!" Hana said. "Let's go save our worlds!"


	13. Cheerful Imagination

Chapter 13 Cheerful Imagination

Hikaru was so happy as she ran down the dark hallways that she couldn't even contain herself. Her eyes were shining, her face was glowing, and she was outrunning all of the Precure despite the fact that she was untransformed.

"Hikaru, slow down!" Madoka called out.

Once that was said, Hikaru came off of her runner's high. She stopped and took a breath, allowing Soleil, Selene, and Cosmo to catch up to her.

"It's nice to see you again, Hikaru," Elena said with the beautiful smile that she was so famous for. "I missed you."

"We all missed you," said Yuni. "Even me."

Hikaru stared at the former phantom thief of space. She was giving a playful little grin. It was so full of genuine happiness that if Hikaru didn't know any better, she would have thought that it wasn't Yuni she was looking at.

"Yuni…!" Hikaru said cheerfully. Yuni's smile grew even brighter as she wrapped her arms around Cure Star in a hug. Soleil and Selene joined in as well, and Hikaru let out happy little laughs as she clung to three of her best friends in the multiverse.

"Hug you!"

Hikaru let her friends go and turned to the right. She saw Hugtan, happily cheering as she was held in the arms of Cure Ange. Hana herself looked like she had found the most precious treasure she could ever find.

"I am so glad that you guys are back together," she said.

Hikaru smiled and went over to Hana.

"You and your friends are going to be back together as well! Homare, Emiru, and Ruru are here too!"

"They are?" Hana asked in surprise.

"Yes!" Hikaru exclaimed joyously. Hana's expression mirrored the jubilant smile on Hikaru's face.

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go to them!"

Hana turned and faced the end of the hallway, but before she could bolt Saaya placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," she said gently. "I understand that you are excited Hana, but we need to be patient. Hikaru can't keep running forever."

Hana smiled in embarrassment as her face turned pink.

"Sorry."

"No; it's okay!" Hikaru said as she turned to Cure Ange. "I've already recovered enough!"

Saaya smiled. Then, everyone continued with their determined jog down the corridors of Criasu. While they were doing this, they bumped into Cures Milky, Amour, and Macherie.

"Lala!" Hikaru called out.

Lala smiled at Cure Star. Then she noticed that the rest of her team was there. Her eyes grew wide.

"What? How…"

"You didn't think we were gonna let you explore an alternate universe by yourself, did you?" asked Elena. Lala's face broke out into a grin.

"This is amazing! Now we're all back together lun!"

"Indeed we are," said Madoka. The Star Twinkle Team got into another group hug, a complete one. Even their fairy partners joined in.

"Hana!" Emiru and Ruru proclaimed joyously. Emiru had happy tears in her eyes as she ran over to Cure Yell.

"I missed you so much, I say!" Emiru cried. Hana smiled.

"I missed you guys too!"

"Our mission of breaking into Criasu only had an 84% chance of success," Ruru said. "But now that you're here, that has gone up to…" Ruru smiled….. "100%!

"Awesome!" Hana exclaimed.

"Awesome!" Hugtan echoed. Macherie's eyes grew wide.

"You revived Hugtan!"

Lala's eyes traveled to the baby in Cure Ange's hands. Her antenna started waving around in adoration.

"So cute!"

The other members of the Star Twinkle Team started fawning over Cure Tomorrow. Yuni, however, just stood to the side with a slight grin.

"Eh. Mao's cuter."

It was then that everyone remembered that Cure Etoile and Dr. Traum were trying to rescue Harry. They all ran to the meeting room at the heart of the building, the same room where Hikaru had seen President Kurai. When they got there, they could see Etoile battling it out with Bicine.

"Star Slash!"

A barray of shining stars flew at Bicine, but nevertheless he held onto Harry. Hikaru's eyes roamed around the room until she saw Dr. Traum. He was fiddling with a glass case. And in that case was...

"My Star Color Pendant!"

Hikaru ran over to the Doctor. She could see that her transformation devices appeared black and burned.

"I'm just trying to remember the access code," Traum said. He punched in another combination, and the glass around the pens and pendant disintegrated. Hikaru picked them up, and as soon as she did the color returned to them.

"Thank you, Dr. Traum," Hikaru said. She held up her pendant. "Star Color Pendant!"

Hikaru was surrounded in light, and when it cleared she was fully transformed. She turned to her friends, who all cheered.

"Hope for tomorrow begone! Negative Wave!" Bicine called out. He jumped over to where Cure Star stood. "Come forth! Mou Oshimaida!"

The pedestal where Hikaru's transformation devices rested was enveloped in smoke, and when it cleared a humongous Oshimaida stood in its place.

"Mou Oshimaida!" it screamed. Homare flew over to her teammates.

"It's good to see that you're back; Hana," she said. "This means we can access Cheerful Style."

Hana smiled and nodded.

"Hikaru! Let's do Twinkle Imagination lun!" Cure Milky called out.

Cure Star nodded and ran over to her team. Then, with the help of Hugtan and Fuwa, both teams accessed their finishing attacks. Their uniforms transformed into angelic, colorful, glorious outfits, and the entire room was filled in majestic light.

"Cheerful Style!"

"Twinkle Imagination!"

The attacks shot toward the Mou Oshimaida. The colors and lights of both finishers blended together into an amazing display. It wasn't bright enough to be blinding; which was fortunate for Dr. Traum, Harry, and Bicine. When hit, the Mou Oshimaida's eyes turned into hearts.

"Please accept my resignation!"

It vanished with a twinkle. The cures all cheered.

"That was amazing I say!" Cure Macherie exclaimed.

"Kirayaba!" Cure Star said.

"The joy in the room has spiked by 110%!" said Cure Amour. "I was not aware that was possible!"

In his shock, Bicine had dropped Harry. He ran over to the Cures in his human form, and Dr. Traum followed. Both of them smiled.

"Let's get out of here," Harry said.

**AN: While this is not the last chapter of this particular story (that's the next chapter), it is the last chapter I will ever post in 2019. I just want to say Happy New Year to you all!**


	14. Farewell

Chapter 14 Farewell

Beauty Harry was filled to the point of overflowing. The members of both Precure teams happily chatted with each other. Hana and Hikaru filled their friends in on what had happened during their time in the wrong universe. Both teams were ecstatic to have their leaders back. On top of that, the leaders were happy to finally have some time to properly interact.

"Thanks for taking care of my team while I was away," Hana said to Hikaru.

"No thanks is necessary," Hikaru responded. "It's the least I can do after you took such great care of my team."

Hana blushed.

"Well, then I guess we both need to say thank you," she said. Hikaru's eyes shined.

"I have an idea! Let's do it in unison!"

Hana grinned brightly at the leader of the Star Twinkle team. Hikaru started to countdown from three.

"Three...two...one…"

"THANK YOU!"

Hikaru and Hana looked around in surprise. They weren't the only ones who had said thank you; everyone else in the building had done it as well.

"Why are you guys saying thank you?" Hana asked the Star Twinkle team.

"Well first off Hikaru was right; you did take good care of us," Yuni said.

"On top of that," Madoka said. "You helped her get her Star Color Pendant back."

Hana gave a cute little smile. Then Ruru stepped forward.

"Hoshina Hikaru," she said. She was trying to sound formal, but was clearly failing. "You were not only a strong fighter, but you were also a good friend. While we know it was hard for you and definitely hard for us, we really do appreciate that you got to spend some time in our universe."

"The same goes for you, Hana," Elena said with a bright smile. "We are all going to miss you."

Hana smiled at Hikaru's teammates, Hikaru smiled at Hana's. Then both girls went over to the opposite team.

"I guess this is goodbye," Lala said to Hana.

"Not necessarily!" Hana cheerfully exclaimed. "Remember, you guys have that gun of Aiwarn's."

Yuni laughed.

"Yeah, that thing is dead!"

Hana joined in on the laughter of the Star Twinkle Precure.

"That's true." She smiled. "But I have Hugtan. Maybe she can bring my entire team over to your world."

"That would be cool!" Lala said. "Maybe then you guys can do some space travel with us!"

Hana beamed.

"I would like that very much!" She embraced her new friends in a group hug. On the other side of the room, the Hugtto team was doing the same for Hikaru.

"Goodbye Cure Star!" said Emiru happily.

"It was very nice meeting you!" said Saaya.

"It was nice meeting you!" Hikaru said. Homare grinned at her.

"Hey Hikaru. Do you want to hear something cool?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know what the word etoile means?"

Hikaru looked at Homare in confusion.

"I do not." Homare's grin got even brighter.

"Star. It means star in French."

Hikaru gawked.

"Really?" When Homare nodded, Hikaru's eyes sparkled excitedly. "Kirayaba!"

"You're right; it is kirayaba!" Homare gave Hikaru a hug, one that was extra tight. When she let go, she gestured to Hana. Hikaru turned and saw that Cure Yell was holding Hugtan in her arms.

"It's time to go," Hana said.

"Go!" Hugtan squealed happily. Hikaru gave the Hugtto team one last smile before joining her friends.

"Ready Hugtan?" asked Hana.

"Ready Mama! Hug you!" A portal appeared, and the Star Twinkle team jumped inside one at a time. Hikaru was the last one left. Before she jumped in, she gave Hana a hug. Then she finally went home.

**AN: Yeah! It's done! Thanks so much to you guys for reading, and shoutouts to Hachiro12 for favoriting, Arkmaster2196 and LadyDragongirl for following, and PikaFUSION, sailor soloria, and awkwardfandomtrash for favoriting and following. iI really appreciate the support you guys give for my work. I plan on writing another Precure fanfiction soon. It's called Eas' Last Stand. If you are interested in that, I will upload it very soon. Well, see you next time :)**


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